The Truth about Love
by HikaruTheHunter
Summary: 5 years after the Fourth Great Shinobi War, the reconstruction period of Konohagakure no Sato has ended. Life in the village has become peaceful and new bonds have been formed. Naruto Uzumaki, who has now become a workhorse, is left with an empty feeling inside. Though, what happens when a certain mission kindles an old fire thought burnt out? YAOI in later chapters. Book 1 of 3.
1. For the First Time

**A/N: **I know I've said that I wouldn't put up the first chapter of this until I was done with 'Invisible', but I just couldn't wait! I've been itching to get these stories out and I'm proud to present to all of you, the first book of the trilogy:

**THE TRUTH ABOUT LOVE. **I hope you all enjoy.

The Truth about Love

**ONE**

**50 YEARS AGO: UZUSHIOGAKURE NO SATO**

The night was far away from calm. War had awoken in the Whirlpool Country.

"**Fire Style**: **Great Dragon Fire Technique.**"

The forest surrounding the battlefield erupted into flames. Trees fell to pieces and shrubbery went ablaze as the battle ensued. The shinobi that the technique belonged to stood upon a tree that had not been affected by the jutsu. The way the moon lit up behind him made him look…_heroic_. Though, that shinobi was far from being _heroic_.

"Watch out!" A shinobi yelled out to his comrades. Trees above the victims fell, crushing them and scorching their skin with hot flames; other shinobi started fleeing, while others tried protecting their kinsmen. Unfortunately, the carnage wouldn't stop there. The attacking shinobi leaped down from his tree and drew his katana. The blade pierced through the defending shinobi, even some that were being slowly killed by the fire. The attacker's eyes were soulless, as if he were a demon. Someone who had no pity or mercy for the people.

"Why," a man asked, "why are you doing this to us?"

The attacker turned slowly and looked dead in the eyes of the commenter. "**Is there necessarily a reason for everything?**"

"You shall not have Ukime Garden…" The other man stood in his place, drawing his own sword from its sheath.

"**Oh really? And who are you to say what I can and can't have? As far as I know, Ukime Garden is for **_**public**_** use.**" The attacker retorted, quickly doing handsigns with katana in hand.

"**Fire Style**: **Phoenix Flower Technique!**" He screamed out, his sword heating up with red flames; the flames shot through the tip of the sword, at lightning speeds, towards the man. The other man quickly did handsigns as well, his katana lighting up a benevolent blue. "**Water Style**: **Chakra Dousing Techinque!**"

The water spouted from the tip of the sword, much like the flames had, and engulfed the fireballs. The chakra within the technique returned to the sword and the man lurched forward, ready to attack. "**Stage One**: **Light breaking through darkness!**" The man shouted as he swung his katana at the attacker. The other man deflected but something was off. His sword started to crack in the blade and his eyes widened with shock. "**W-What is this?**" The man asked, stunned.

"The power of…" The katana broke through and pierced straight through the chest of the attacker; the blade began to get coated in blood, chakra seeping from his sword as well. The chakra burns singed the inside of the attackers body, causing him to scream out in immense pain. The searing sounds of agony echoed throughout the forest as the protector withdrew his sword in put it back in his sheath.

"…the Uzumaki Clan." And with that, he turned to put out the fires that had been killing the forest life.

**55 YEARS LATER: 5 YEARS AFTER FOURTH GREAT SHINOBI WAR**

Konohagakure no Sato: the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Of course, out of the all five shinobi nations, Konoha has been known to be the most valiant; after the Fourth Great Shinobi war, all nations came to realize that. Even working as a team, the nations knew that some of the best shinobi came out of Konoha. Those shinobi lead them to victory in the war, defeating Madara and Obito Uchiha and saving the world from devastation.

After five years of remodeling, the village had come back to its true design; with some added improvements here and there.

Regardless of his short term, Danzo's head had been added to the Hokage Monument, next to Tsunade's as Sixth Hokage. Tsunade was still in her position, dealing with paperwork, new Genin, and other issues; same old same old. There was still surprisingly room for a few more heads on the monument, regardless of there being six. No one had any ideas who would be the next Hokage, but there were some ideas.

One person in particular: Naruto Uzumaki.

Naruto was a hero, to say the least. His efforts in the war and endeavors with the Nine Tailed Fox gained him the respect and care in the village that he was so hurriedly placed in; before any of the attacks, Naruto was an issue. Considered a monster and scapegoat and weapon for Konoha to use; like any other jinchuriki. Yet, through all the adversity, Naruto still remained to touch everybody he met and made friends in places unknown to man or in places no man dared to touch.

But during those five years of reconstruction, out of everybody that was affected by the war, Naruto was most affected.

After the war had ended, Naruto had lost a lot of his friends. Some that he never expected to stick up for him in times of need, including Neji Hyuga, one of his best friends.

Death was a known thing for him, but he had never expected to lose people that close to him in the war; and that fueled his fire even more. Then, there was Hinata Hyuga.

Hinata Hyuga's affections were known by the Uzumaki well before the war, but he wasn't sure how to handle them; it had bothered him here and there throughout the time of reconstruction, debating on whether or not to attempt to start something with the Hyuga heiress, but there was something tugging at his stomach that stated it was _wrong_. Plus, the fact that she was the _only_ people to ever show that type of affection towards him made Naruto even more heartbroken. Unfortunately, it didn't stop there.

Fighting alongside his father, though reanimated, made Naruto realize how weak he actually was; nothing compared to his father, Naruto realized why Minato Namikaze was the Fourth Hokage. His strength, even when dead, was unparalleled and quick. **That** was how Naruto wanted to be. It made him push and push to become a better shinobi, even if that meant giving up a social life.

Tsunade was filing papers in her office, trying to get the last of the work done for the day before relaxing. The sun was about to set when Shizune walked in through the office doors, putting a glass of tea on Tsunade's desk.

"Here you go, Tsunade-sama," Shizune muttered, Ton Ton running in behind her through the doors. Tsunade sighed contently and sat down at her desk, taking a sip of her tea, "Where's the alcohol?" Tsunade asked, raising an eyebrow.

Shizune shook her head, "Sake isn't good for the stress-relief you're looking for…"

"Of course it is! It's how I get relaxed," Tsunade put down the tea and rubbed her temples, "whatever. Any word back from him yet?"

"Not yet," Shizune sat down on the small seat next to Tsunade's desk, "the gates haven't seen or heard him yet. A journey that far will take some time, Tsunade."

"Doesn't matter," Tsunade stood up and looked out the wide window behind her, crossing her arms behind her back, "the mission I gave him was simple. As have all of them been lately…he's been overworking himself." Tsunade turned and leaned against her desk, looking down at the slightly empty area. Shizune stood, "Well, if you need anything else, just call to me…"

"…Shizune?" Tsunade muttered.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade?"

Tsunade took a moment to gather her thoughts then looked up at her assistant, "What can I do?"

"I say let him figure it out himself…you know how Naruto gets when people try to tell him to quit…" Shizune answered, causing Tsunade to look back down.

"I know, I just…" Tsunade paused again. "…I just feel that Naruto…I feel that he lost something during that war."

Shizune sighed and nodded, "I know…I know—"

Suddenly, the doors opened and appeared the person of the topic.

Naruto Uzumaki looked a little fatigued, but he still had a slight smile on his face. Tsunade stood up straight and smirked, "Welcome back…how did the mission go?"

"It was a success…as always," Naruto placed a scroll on Tsunade's desk and moved back a few steps, "nobody was fatally harmed. Did run into some trouble, but not bad."

Naruto was wearing a Jonin jacket over an orange short sleeve shirt, a pair of black shinobi pants and black shinobi boots. His kunai pouch was strapped tight to his right leg with a bandage underneath, a pair of fingerless gloves on his hands with had the Konoha plate on each. His headband was tied around his forehead, his blonde strands of hair seeping out the sides and slightly covering the Konoha symbol on the plate; the long strand of black fabric holding the hitai-ate fell to the small of his back rather than short.

The Uzumaki's blue eyes were still as bright as ever, regardless of his tiredness; and finally, the Uzumaki clan symbol was plastered to a white wristband, which was found around his left wrist. He had made it when reconstruction had started in honor of his parents.

Naruto had been promoted to Jonin rank about two years into the reconstruction period. Tsunade smiled and stamped the scroll as 'Completed', then put it on the other side of her desk. She opened the drawer and took out some money, put it into a drawstring bag, tied it up, then tossed it to Naruto. "Here you go," she spoke lightly and there was a slight pause before Naruto spoke.

"I would like to request another mission, if I may," Naruto proceeded, scratching the back of his head.

"And I'm going to have to decline that," Tsunade spoke, crossing her hands firmly.

Naruto blinked a couple of times, "But…I need to…"

"No. Instead, I'm going to give you something else: a hiatus." Tsunade said, which received gasps from both Shizune and Naruto.

"Are you kidding me? For how long!?" Naruto demanded to know, gritting his teeth. Tsunade shrugged, "For a few weeks," she sighed, "you need to relax, Naruto. Hang out with your friends, eat ramen, and maybe go get a girlfriend! You need the time off."

"I don't need it, nor do I want it!" Naruto shouted, causing Tsunade to slam her hands on the desk and stand.

"Look here, Uzumaki! I'm not going to sit here and watch one of my best shinobi go out week after week doing missions just because he wants to be stronger! That is not how I work, and that is not how you will work either. Understood?" Tsunade scolded and the silence was so thick you could slice it with a knife.

Naruto looked down to the floor, his eyes slightly shaky with tears, but they never fell as he nodded. "Understood."

"Good," Tsunade sat down, "now please…go relax."

Naruto turned and left the room without another word and Shizune seemed to let out a sigh of relief, as if she had been holding her breath. "Do you really think that was a good idea?"

"No…honestly. But I had to. If…If he wants to be Hokage, he needs to learn when to take a break from being a workhorse." Tsunade spoke. Shizune rolled her eyes, "A work horse? That's something you never are…"

Tsunade ignored the comment and closed her eyes.

'_Naruto…'_

The calm and warm air of Konoha greeted Naruto as he left the building, slamming the doors behind him. The blonde sighed and put a hand through his hair, looking around at the village in front of him. Nothing seemed to be familiar to him anymore; ever since he had started going on more and more missions, it made him more unfamiliar with his own village. The overlook had a pretty view though. You could see everything from Naruto's vantage point. He walked up to the railings of the edge, looking over at the long fall ahead of him.

"Hey," a voice chimed, "welcome back."

Naruto glanced over to see his returned friend, Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke had changed as a person, for the better in everyone's opinion. After being tried for his crimes, he was luckily put on probationary watch, and given a Genin team as part of community service; although, Sasuke didn't mind that at all. He felt very merciful. His nature had changed as well: becoming a lighter hearted person and finding a new way to walk.

"If I jumped off this ledge, and just let myself fall," Naruto monotonously said, "do you think anybody would notice?"

"Of course," Sasuke walked up to Naruto, "what kind of question is that, idiot?"

Naruto stood up straight and sighed, "A stupid one…"

Sasuke leaned on the rails this time and smirked, "You know…I don't think I've ever seen you so…quiet."

"Oh?" Naruto glanced over to Sasuke then back at the village, "Well…just a lot has been on my mind recently, yah know?"

"Wanna talk about it?" Sasuke offered but Naruto declined, turning to walk away.

"No, but thank you for offering," Naruto smiled lightly, "it's just something I need to just let die out, yah know?"

Sasuke stood up straight and walked up to his friend putting a hand on his shoulder, "Why don't you come to this party tonight?"

"Party? I'm not the partying type, Sasuke…" Naruto muttered, scratching the back of his head; it was true. As of late, Naruto had become detached from his friends and the joyous life of social interaction. Mostly because of all the missions and training sessions he had been putting himself through for the past three years.

"It's a congratulatory party for Shikamaru," Sasuke stated, crossing his arms, "he and Temari are having a baby."

Naruto blinked a couple of times and shrugged, "Wow…has it been that long? I mean, I haven't talked to Shikamaru in forever."

"He probably wouldn't tell you anyway," Sasuke smirked, "too troublesome I would assume."

At that point, Naruto chuckled. "You're right…I guess I can come. I-I don't have a gift or anything like that though…"

"That's fine. I'm sure just seeing you would make him and everybody happy. Come on." Sasuke turned to walk away and Naruto took a moment before following after.

The two shinobi talked a little bit, mostly about the missions Naruto had gone on lately and Sasuke's team; it was like old friends reconnecting after so many years of being separated. That was true in some cases. After Sasuke had left the village many years ago, it seemed like a hole was missing from Naruto's heart. The brother he never had was gone and now to have him back was just bliss. They still squabbled, but this time it wasn't serious; it was actually brotherly.

They arrived at Ino's place, where the party was being held, and walked up the stairs and knocked on the door. After a few moments, someone opened the door to greet them.

"Hey! Guys! Sasuke is here…?" Ino Yamanaka's face fell a bit as she noticed Naruto standing behind Sasuke, "…Naruto?"

Naruto blushed out of awkwardness and nodded, "Hey, Ino…sorry I didn't RSVP or…something."

Ino shook her head, her blank expression turning into a smile, "No worries! Come on in…Shika will be happy to see you both." The two shinobi entered past Ino and everybody inside stopped what they were doing to notice them: more so notice _Naruto_.

Everybody was there: the original Konoha 11, save Neji. It was almost like a family reunion for Naruto and the blonde waved lightly, "Hey guys."

Shikamaru stood up, crossing his arms, "Well I'll be damned," he walked over to Naruto and smirked, "Naruto Uzumaki. The workhorse."

Naruto averted his gaze from Shikamaru and sighed, "Sorry I haven't been around lately. Congratulations on…yah know, you and Temari."

Shikamaru sighed and brought Naruto into a hug, "You're so troublesome, you know that?"

Naruto smirked and hugged back quick and they separated. "Thanks."

"Help yourself to some food. We even have ramen." Shikamaru stated. At that point, everybody started talking once more and started getting up to greet Sasuke and Naruto. Sasuke went to visit his girlfriend and longtime teammate, Sakura Haruno and gave a quick peck on her cheek before sitting down. "How did you find him?" Sakura whispered and Sasuke sighed, "Just happened to be in the right place at the right time. He just got back from a mission and it seems that Tsunade put him on a hiatus."

"Really…? Lady Tsunade did that? That's actually quite surprising," Sakura looked over to Naruto, who was currently involved in a conversation with Chouji, Ino, and Shino, "but I'm happy…I've missed him."

"I think all of us have." Sasuke responded, taking a drink from his girlfriend's glass.

"So, how long have you two been dating?" Naruto asked, taking a sip of his Sake.

Ino moved hair from her face and looked to Chouji, whom responded first. "It's been a full eight months now! And I believe that we're both happy."

"If you'd ask me seven years ago if I'd be dating Choji…well, I'd punch you in the face. But…he's right. I'm extremely happy and I feel like it's right." Ino replied next, earning a nod from Naruto. "That's good. Happiness to both of you…"

"N-Naruto?" A voice chimed from behind and the blonde turned to face the owner.

Hinata stood there, looking a little sheepish as always, and smiled to her crush. "It's been a while…"

The tension rose slightly, but Naruto continued conversation, "It has…" he paused a moment then continued, "…how've you been?"

Hinata shrugged and looked away slightly, "I've been good…t-training lots. And yourself?"

Naruto shrugged, "I've been better. Tsunade put me on a hiatus so I'm pretty much stuck doing things here in the village. Which I guess I have no problem with."

"That's good. I mean, it's n-nice to see you." The awkward silence seeped in and Naruto wasn't exactly sure how to progress the conversation.

"Look," Naruto started, "I'm sorry…that I haven't made a decision after five years…it's…it's stupid and rude of me."

Hinata blushed lightly and grabbed Naruto's hands, "N-No…don't worry about that," she smiled up at him, "I will wait however long it takes. I love you, Naruto, and nothing will change that."

"…I wish I had an answer for you. But thanks, Hinata." Naruto said, removing his hands from hers. Hinata smiled and put her hands to her side, returning back to the party. Naruto watched her walk away, a downcast look upon his face as he turned back, in order to continue talking with some other of his friends when suddenly…

"Whoa!" A voice uttered as he stumbled back, luckily regaining his balance. Naruto stumbled a bit before blushing, "I-I'm sorry! I didn't see you th—Kiba?"

Kiba Inuzuka blinked a couple of times to reassure what he was seeing, "Naruto…?"

Naruto smiled a little and hugged his friend, who returned it with just as much vigor. They pulled away and Kiba smirked, "I-I didn't know you were coming! I mean, I was in the bathroom so I missed your entrance but…it's nice to see you, man!"

"I know…it's nice to see everybody," Naruto took a look over the whole party and then back to Kiba, "how've you been…?"

"I've been good. Akamaru and I have been training excessively, as always, but you know, it's nice to see the whole group again, yah know?" Kiba responded, taking a cookie from the food table. Naruto nodded and Kiba took a bite of the cookie, "So…did you get back from a mission?"

"I was put on hiatus. Tsunade said I needed a break." Naruto shrugged and finished off his Sake, placing the empty glass on the table. Kiba laughed a little bit, "Just what you need: none of us have seen you around in, like, forever! We need to hang out while you're on hiatus, though!"

Naruto smiled wide and nodded, "Sure thing. I want to see this training you speak of."

"Oh, is that a challenge I hear? Tomorrow, meet me at the compound and we'll have a spar eh?" Kiba offered and Naruto frowned a bit, "Uhm," he blushed and rubbed the back of his head, "I'd love to, but…where exactly is your compound?"

Kiba blinked and rolled his eyes, "Damn, you've missed everything haven't you? Kami, look, after the party, you and I can walk back to my house. We'll catch up and such, eh?" Naruto nodded, "Sure thing. I'd like that a lot." Kiba patted his friend on the back and returned to the party, leaving Naruto at the buffet table, looking for someone else to talk to.

He returned to his teammates, sitting on the other side of Sakura. The pink haired kunoichi slung her arms around Naruto's neck, hugging him tight. "You asshole. I haven't seen or heard from you in a long time."

"Sorry, Sakura…" Naruto muttered as he pulled away. Sakura sighed and laughed a little, "You still look good though."

"Thanks, I try," Naruto said, putting on a cocky pose, which was rare. Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Okay now, no need to peacock for my girlfriend." Naruto rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out, "Calm down, Sasuke, I know my boundaries. Besides, I'm happy for you two."

Sakura put on a serene smile and tilted her head to the side a little bit, "Thanks. So…how are things with Hinata?"

Naruto sighed. The topic again. "I don't know what I'm going to do…"

"Well, do you like her or not?" Sakura asked, crossing her arms.

"I'm not sure. I mean, she's a nice girl, don't get me wrong. But, I just feel like it's not right. I don't know…yah know?" Naruto asked, his nervous hitch kicking in. Sasuke sighed and straightened out his sleeves, "Why don't you just go on a date with her? What's the harm in that? It would at least humor her and give you something to base your feelings off of."

Sasuke was right, in ways, and Naruto knew that, but the blonde wasn't quite set on the idea just yet. "We'll see. Good idea though…I just need time to get to know everybody better again…"

"You have been a ghost lately. Why is that, Naruto? You've never been like that…" Sakura asked honestly, allowing Naruto time to think about it. The blonde knew that it was because of the war; call it PTSD, but Naruto knew that was the reasoning.

"I guess I just wanted to get stronger. But I'm on hiatus now. I'm here to celebrate Shikamaru and Temari and hang out with all my friends." Naruto smiled, and the pair next to him smiled as well; Sasuke's arm rested around Sakura's shoulders and he raised his glass, "A toast!"

Everybody stopped what they were doing and quickly found drinks. "To good friends, family, and Shikamaru and Temari." Sasuke said as everybody yelled, "Cheers!" The glasses rose and people took swigs from their glasses as Shikamaru was hounded by all of his male friends with pats on the backs and stuff like that. "Have you guys thought of a name yet?" Choji called out, which gave Shikamaru the floor once again .

"Yeah," Shikamaru said, looking down at the ground a bit; his hands were shoved into his pockets and the brunette looked back up to face his audience, "his name will be Asuma."

Everybody cheered and the rest of Team 10 walked up and hugged Shikamaru, which was very heartwarming. Shikamaru sighed as his friends pulled away, "Thanks guys…now everybody, let's party!" The crowd of people cheered and started eating, talking, and drinking more.

After the party had ended and everybody had left, Naruto waited at the bottom of the stairs for Kiba to exit. He and Kiba had always been friends since the Academy days, but it was always a competition; some could even say worse than it was with Sasuke. Nonetheless, they had a bond that would never be broken. Kiba walked down the stairs, a little intoxicated, as he put an arm around Naruto's shoulders. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," Naruto smiled, "lead the way."

Kiba started walking and Naruto followed, the conversation ensued shortly after.

"You know? I've missed you." Kiba blurted out, the cool air slowly sobering him.

Naruto nodded, "I've missed you too. I've missed everybody. It seems like things do change quickly when I'm not around."

Kiba chuckled, "That's what happens when you overwork yourself," he then looked to Naruto, who met his eyes as well. "I'm glad you have time to hang out with your buddies."

Naruto sighed, "It feels nice," he put on a content smile, and his stomach rumbled slightly, "and I haven't had a bowl of ramen in whoever knows how long."

"You didn't eat at the party?" Kiba asked, confused.

"No," he shook his head, "I was planning on having ramen so I saved my appetite. Although, even if I had eaten, I would've still been hungry."

"We even had ramen there…" Kiba added, still baffled at Naruto's appetite.

"It wasn't Ichiraku's though. I love Ino's cooking, but I couldn't eat it. I wanted the authentic stuff." Naruto muttered, putting on a childish grin. Kiba and Naruto shared a laugh and continued walking. On the way, they decided to stop at Ichiraku's in order to feed Naruto and for Kiba to sober up. Teuchi greeted them kindly, "It's been a while, Naruto! And you two will be my last customers today. What can I get you?"

"A large beef miso please." Kiba and Naruto said in unison. The two looked at each other, then laughed; Teuchi joined the laughter a bit as he turned to cook the ramen, "Coming right up!"

The conversation between the two ranged from many different topics: training, missions, life, old times, at cetera.

"You have a team too?" Naruto asked, earning a 'mhm' from Kiba.

"Yeah, they're great. Sometimes a handful, but you know, having a team is a great thing. They teach me more and more every day." Kiba explained, finishing off his bowl of ramen. Naruto slurped down his fourth bowl of ramen and smiled, "I hope to get a team soon," he wiped his lips clean and handed the bowls back to Teuchi, "thanks, old man."

Teuchi saluted to Naruto and Kiba, "No problem boys." Naruto took out his mission money and handed it to Teuchi, "Keep the change."

Teuchi bowed as the two exited. Kiba sighed, "You didn't have to pay for me."

"Yeah, I know, but I did anyway." Naruto stuck out his tongue playfully. Kiba blushed a tiny bit and smirked as they continued walking towards the Inuzuka compound. Kiba had become the head of the Inuzuka Clan, taking the place of his mother. The brunette had grown a lot as well. Kiba stood at a staggering six foot two, which was taller than Choji (6'0") and a tiny bit taller than Naruto (5'11"). His body had improved a bit, and he no longer wore all black. His hair had grown out a bit and his red triangles seemed to thin out with his face; his hazel eyes were more dominant now, no longer having that feral look. Though, Naruto assumed that they would be that way in battle, much like Akamaru's.

Kiba had grown into becoming a handsome man, and people knew it. They arrived at the Inuzuka compound and Kiba turned to face Naruto, "Well, here we are!"

"Yeah, you guys really did something awesome with this place." Naruto said, looking up at the compound. It had three main floors and two major buildings, with sub houses inside, of course; Kiba smiled and opened the front gates, ushering Naruto inside with him. Kiba greeted the two guard dogs, which were massive, and they made no motion to move. "Good thing they recognize your scent, or else it'd be messy." Kiba stated and Naruto gulped; he was always intimidated by the Inuzuka dogs…and family.

Kiba led Naruto to a sub house near the middle western edge of the compound and unlocked the front door, "Well this is where I live. Do you wanna come inside?"

Naruto debated it and shook his head, "Not tonight. I'm feeling really tired so I thought I would head on home."

"Are you sure? You're welcome to stay the night here." Kiba offered and Naruto shrugged, "Thanks, but no thanks. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Kiba nodded, looking a little saddened, but then smiled, "Okay! Goodnight Naruto. It was fun catching up with you. And thanks again for the ramen."

"No problem, Kiba. Goodnight." Naruto turned and walked away, shoving his hands into his pockets. Kiba watched him leave then sighed a little, entering his house and closing the door behind him. Naruto leaped to the edge of the Inzuka wall and jumped into the main village; he made his way back to his apartment building. As he walked solo, the crickets chirped and the nice air brushed against Naruto's skin; the moonlight illuminated his way, with the help of some street lights. He was content with the night, as it was eventful and for once in a while, he felt at home.

Naruto smiled to himself as he thought about catching up with Sasuke and Kiba and all of his other friends; just seeing their reaction to him being there made him feel loved. Like he was doing something _right_.

As he arrived at his home, Naruto unlocked the door and went inside. Kicking off his shoes at the door, he turned on his light and removed his hitai-ate, placing it on the kitchen counter. His new apartment was actually bigger than his old one. The floors were actually clean and everything was in place. The blonde walked into his room and hung up his Jonin jacket and lifted off his shirt. As he did so, bones in his body cracked out of soreness and his muscles tensed as he struggled to pull it over his head. His abs had been developed and the necklace Tsunade had given him hung lightly against his chest, feeling cold against his bare skin.

Finally, Naruto removed his shirt and put it inside the laundry basket next to his door. Battle scars graced his sun-kissed skin and a fresh cut throbbed as Naruto bent over to remove his kunai pouch and pants fully. Once they were off, he proceeded to unravel the bandages that wrapped his legs and threw them aside; he then removed his gloves and wristband. Now he was completely comfortable and Naruto walked over to his mirror to take a look at himself. The cut that he had received from battle stung as he touched it. Naruto entered his bathroom and took some fresh bandages, wrapping his abdomen with them. It was going to scar over anyhow.

After he had tended to his wound, Naruto was ready to sleep; it had been a long week. A trip from Mitsu no Kuni, the Honey Country, was tiring at best and the mission (although C ranked) was a little shaky for the blonde. He had run into some A-rank criminals, which weren't a problem, but tedious to deal with. The Uzumaki laid down on his bed and looked up to the ceiling, reminiscing on the night's events and the week's events.

"Maybe Tsunade is right," he muttered to himself, "I have been tired lately and my chakra has been draining quicker than usual…this hiatus might be exactly what I need…" Naruto turned on his side and faced his window, which allowed some moonlight in. The bed, due to its size, felt empty while Naruto laid there; as if there was something missing. Of course, being a Queen sized bed, another person would be sufficient to fill that space, but Naruto wasn't too concerned with whom. He just wanted someone there.

His eyes closed and he found himself drifting off to sleep.

Maybe the fact that there was no one there was another reason Naruto worked himself excessively: to take his mind off the pain of loneliness.

**The Truth about Love**

ONE: **For the First Time…**

**END**

**A/N**: I hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter! It was definitely fun to write and I felt really confident about this opener. 'Truth about Love' will not be for the faint of heart, may I add. There will be sadness, some violence, and sex (of course), but regardless of the title, this story is not about love necessarily. Ironic, eh? So, favorite, review, and share if you liked! Thanks guys!


	2. At the Stroke of Midnight

**A/N**: I got a lot of rave reviews for the first entry of 'Truth about Love'. I am very grateful to have fans like you guys to continue reading what I put out and support it till the end. I've decided to continue 'Invisible' and 'Truth about Love' simultaneously, except I want to get a little further in this story first. Make the playing field even.

The Truth about Love

**TWO**

**A FEW MILES OUTSIDE OF YU NO KUNI**

Panting was all that could be heard in the open fields outside of the Hot Springs Country.

Belabored and fatigued, the man tripped and fell directly into the tall grass; his body could not be seen from any standing eye level. He panicked and started breathing even heavier, turning around to face the opposite direction (the way he had been running from). A man stalked up slowly, as if he had been just casually walking the entire time in chase: his curly blonde hair was tapered down by the bandages that covered his eyes in an 'X' formation. His breathing was calm and he had one hand behind his back, attached to the hilt of a small blade; the other hand was at his side, two fingers outstretched in a handseal formation.

"P-Please," the belabored man scuffled back, his eyes shaking with fear, "d-don't do this…I-I have a family!"

"Lies," the standing man brought his hand up near his mouth and placed the handseal to his lips softly, "some worthless peasant such as yourself ought to be taught a lesson. In other words…"

In a blink of an eye the blonde haired man teleported as close as possible to the man on the ground, lurching forward upon him, pinning him to the ground. The blonde kept the man's wrists pinned with his hands as his bandaged eyesight seemed to stare into his soul. The man beneath him struggled to get up, yelling out. "H-Help! SOMEBODY!"

"It doesn't matter anymore," the blonde spoke calmly as he brought his face to the man's neck, taking in a deep inhale of his scent; if fear wasn't there in the first place, the creepy factor was definitely into play now. The attacker smirked, "I was correct. You reek of dejected and jaded avarice…looks like another sinner will fall tonight." The man began struggling even more but it was too late. The attacker began his final blow.

Two kunai found themselves dug into the wrists of the man beneath him. The man screamed out in writhing agony as the blonde brought his mouth to the other man's. "This is the end." He spoke softly as he opened his mouth and began to exhale deeply; a breeze of golden substance (that almost looked like chakra) exited the attacker's mouth and went deep into the other man's in a passionate, yet short, kiss of death. Their lips didn't touch, but the poison had seeped in through the air.

The man began to convulse as the blonde reached inside the man's pocket. Within it, he pulled out a piece of stone; as if it were a shard of a tablet or something. He shoved it in his own kunai pouch and stood up, turning to walk away. His face returned to being emotionless as he stormed off, "My occupation is done here. It is time to proceed to the next rendezvous." As he lurched himself into the air and disappeared into the night, the man that had been assaulted was no more…

…a solid statue attached to the Earth.

**KONOHAGAKURE NO SATO: TRAINING GROUND FIVE**

"**Wolf Fang Over Fang!**" Kiba cried out as he and Akamaru rushed towards a beam in the middle of the training field. They crossed paths a couple of times before jumping into the air, their bodies spinning at lightning speeds. They attacked the beam, leaving a huge cloud of dust in its wake as it was destroyed. The technique had succeeded. Kiba and Akamaru landed, skidding a few feet back as Akamaru turned back into his normal form. Kiba brushed himself off and walked up to Akamaru, patting him on the head lightly. "Good job, boy. Another Fang Over Fang completed successfully."

Akamaru barked in approval and Kiba snickered a bit before turning back to the disaster zone they had created from their attack. Suddenly, a new scent was picked up in the air and both Kiba and Akamaru perked up to find its owner. "That scent…" Kiba muttered and Akamaru rushed through the dust in a hurry. Kiba flinched, "A-Akamaru! Wait!" He ran through the dust as well, covering his eyes and mouth as he reached the clear side once more.

As he opened his eyes, Kiba watched as Akamaru _assaulted_ the owner of the scent.

Naruto was on the ground, trying to block his face as Akamaru began licking him intensely. "A-Ahhh! Kiba! Help me! Get this mutt off of me!"

Kiba stifled laughter as he cleared his throat, "Akamaru! Get off of him."

Akamaru pulled back and Kiba held out a hand to his friend; Naruto took it gladly and brought himself up, wiping himself off. "Fuck he's got power on him."

"You know it," Kiba stuck out his tongue playfully and rubbed the back of his head, "what are you doing out here?"

Naruto shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I just decided to see what you were doing. I talked to Shino and he said you'd be over here."

"How'd Shino know I was here? I never told anyone." Kiba asked, confused. Naruto blinked a couple of times then looked up to the sky, "Well, he said something about you're always over here in the mornings; then he said something about how I never pay any attention to him but I left before he could say anything else. I don't know." Kiba started to laugh as he cracked his knuckles a bit, "Well, that's Shino for you. He always thinks you ignore him."

"Ignore him? I wouldn't do that!" Naruto defended but Kiba shrugged, "I don't know what to tell you! But, now that you're here, maybe we can get a spar in, hm?"

Naruto smirked; now that was a challenge he wasn't going to turn down. The blonde cracked his neck a couple of times then stepped back a bit, "You're on Inuzuka."

"Oh, come on, Uzumaki. You think you can beat me?" Kiba asked, "I **have** gotten stronger."

Naruto scoffed and got into his fighting position, "Bring it."

Akamaru barked and the two rushed at each other; both Kiba and Naruto drew kunai and they clashed as they met in the middle. Their eyes locked: hazel with blue as the sparks flew from their kunai. The gigantic white dog, in the meantime, lurched into the air and flew above Naruto, heading straight for the busy boy. The blonde glanced up slightly then pushed back, allowing Akamaru to fall in between the two. Akamaru flew back and landed next to Kiba and then transformed into a clone of his partner.

The two Kiba looked at each other and nodded, getting into Man Beast Clone position. The two, at high speeds, rushed towards Naruto, attacking him head on with taijutsu. Naruto blocked as well as he could, his arms and legs blocking all the punches and kicks being thrown at him. They attacked with such precision and ferocity it was almost impossible to keep up.

'_They've gotten stronger…this might prove to be a challenge…_' Naruto thought as a punch finally landed on him, square in the face. The Uzumaki was sent far back, but he landed directly on his feet. A trail of blood leaked from his nose as he wiped it clean. "I'm just getting started." Naruto smirked as he brought his fingers together in a seal.

Kiba and Akamaru assumed Wolf Fang over Fang position as Naruto summoned around ten Shadow Clones: "**Ninja Art: Shadow Clone Technique!**" Naruto shouted as the clones (and the original) proceeded to rush the Inuzuka pair. Kiba and Akamaru were ready for him though as the two began to spin towards the mass of Narutos. "**Wolf Fang Over Fang!**" Kiba yelled as the two decimated about half of Naruto's clones before landing behind the other six.

The real Naruto looked over his shoulder and threw three kunai towards his opponent; the kunai landed in front of them as the paper bombs attached were almost all the way up. "Let's go, Akamaru!" Kiba shouted as they jumped into the air. The explosion gave them a little bit more air as kunai began to rain from the sky from the pair. Naruto growled as the kunai headed towards them, "Clones, jump!" The other five Naruto clones leaped into the air and were pierced by the kunai, leaving clouds of smoke in their wake. Kiba and Akamaru were about to penetrate through the smoke when Naruto burst through, punching Kiba square in the face.

Akamaru went past Naruto, landing safely on the ground as Kiba flew a few feet back, hitting the ground with a thud. Naruto flipped and landed on his feet, walking up to his fallen comrade. "I call that a match..."

Kiba coughed a little bit as he weakly tried to stand up; Naruto offered his hand and the brunette took it gladly, pulling himself up. "That was quite the short fight…you were holding back, weren't you?" Kiba asked and Naruto nodded, "Sorry…I don't want to pull anything off like Rasengan or something. It was just a spar after all."

'_The fact that it was just a spar makes it even worse…and at half-ass level, he's still difficult to defeat._' Kiba thought as he smiled to his friend; Naruto was extremely strong. He had grown in the past years, but how, Kiba wasn't sure. He believed that it was from all the frequent missions out of the village; he knew that he was honing his abilities for something.

Suddenly, from the sky, fell a green jumpsuit clad boy with a bowl cut and bushy eyebrows; orange weights were wrapped around his ankles and a Jonin jacket was over the whole outfit. Rock Lee stood before the two, leaves lifting from the ground as he landed from his fall. "Morning! I see that you've been involved in a youthful demonstration of strength?"

Kiba and Naruto looked at each other and then to Lee; he always had opportune timing. Kiba nodded, "Yes. We just finished actually."

"And who has come out victorious?" Lee asked, looking constantly between the two shinobi.

"Naruto did. But he was holding out on me!" Kiba growled, clenching his fist at his blonde haired friend; Naruto blinked a couple of times and was about to say something until he was kicked across the field. "**Leaf Hurricane!**" Rock Lee shouted as he landed in a low lung. Naruto hit the ground pretty hard as Lee readjusted himself. Kiba had a look of shock on his face as he got in Lee's face, "Why'd you do that?!"

"Holding out in a battle is a mockery of the opponent! Always fight to full potential, Naruto-kun, you know better!" Lee scolded from afar as the blonde haired shinobi sat up, rubbing his head slightly. "Ow, that hurt, asshole!" Naruto shouted and Lee put his hands against his hips and laughed. "Anyhow, Lady Tsunade wants to see you both in her office right away. It's super important."

Naruto blinked, "What? Tsunade wants to see us? What for?"

"A mission." Lee spoke.

Kiba then glanced over to Naruto who had the same confused look as he did, "A mission? But Naruto is on a hiatus from missions…?"

Naruto joined the group and waited for Lee's explanation. "Apparently something has happened near the Whirlpool Country. She's putting together a team to go and investigate. We'd better hurry! See you guys there!" And with that, Rock Lee jumped off in the direction of the Hokage Tower. Naruto looked to Kiba and sighed, "If she's taking me off hiatus, it must be something bad. Let's go, Kiba!"

"Right!" Kiba answered and Akamaru barked shortly after as they jumped off in the direction Lee had gone as well.

**HOKAGE TOWER: EASTERN KONOHAGAKURE NO SATO**

Tsunade paced in her office, hands folded behind her back as Shizune held Ton Ton closely to her bosom. The pig let out a worried squeal as Tsunade finally stopped pacing, facing the door. Three kunoichi entered the room: Sakura, Hinata, and TenTen. They lined up and faced Tsunade who finally leaned against her desk. "Some of you are here. Where the Hell are those boys!?"

"I haven't seen Lee since he went to go find Kiba and Naruto," TenTen spoke, her neat attire matching her reserved voice. TenTen was wearing a black tanktop underneath her Jonin jacket, with mesh sleeves that went to her elbows and fingerless gloves. Black spandex pants with a grey slit skirt covered her legs as her boots made sure her feet were protected. A giant scroll was on her back as her headband kept her bangs away from her eyes and her buns kept the rest of her hair in place. She looked like a refined kunoichi.

"And I haven't seen Naruto since last night…didn't you put him on hiatus, Lady Tsunade?" Sakura asked, tilting her head to the side a bit. Tsunade sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose slightly, "Yes…but this is crucial. This is an A rank mission that needs recon done. I'll explain more once the rest of the team gets here…"

At that moment, from the wide window, a tired looking Shikamaru knocked. Shizune walked over and let the black haired Jonin inside; Shikamaru yawned, shoving his hands in his pockets as he joined the kunoichis in a line. "What's going on?"

"In time you will know. Damn, you shinobi are impatient." Tsunade growled and Shizune sighed, "Lady Tsunade, calm down…take a seat."

Tsunade sat down and breathed out. Whatever the issue was, it was making Tsunade go crazy; something terrible had happened indeed. Finally, after a few more minutes, the rest of the crew showed up: Sasuke through the window (much like Shikamaru had) and Kiba and Naruto together through the front doors.

"What's going on, Granny? Why the Hell am I being pulled off my hiatus?" Naruto demanded, slamming his hands on her desk. Tsunade rolled her eyes, "You're so lucky I need you _alive_ for this mission. Otherwise you'd be out that damn wall, Uzumaki!" She paused and sat up straight as Naruto walked back to the line, quieter than he had entered. The team was assembled neatly and Tsunade began her introduction.

"So, you all have been called here because of recent events that have occurred in the Whirlpool Country," Tsunade said, folding her hands on her desk, "a statue was found outside the country in the form of a man in pain with two kunai through his wrists…"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "What's the significance? It's just a statue."

"That's what we assumed. But once authorities arrived from the country, they realized it was…a citizen from the village."

The whole room went silent and looks were exchanged; it was Hinata's turn to talk. "What do you mean…someone from the v-village?"

Tsunade stood up, "I mean…a citizen was turned into stone. Pinned to the ground and killed. I don't know how exactly but it seems that the person behind this is a part of an organization called the Kurosan, who intend on cleansing the world of sin."

"Sin," Naruto started, "as in, like, what?"

"Each member of the clan is supposedly related somehow to the Seven Deadly Sins." Shizune spoke up, before Tsunade could even say anything; the Hokage nodded and closed her eyes, "I need you all to travel to the Whirlpool and meet up with our informant in the Hot Springs country, their neighbor. Once you have found him, he will provide you with all the information he knows on finding out the direct motives of the Kurosan."

"Now wait a moment: what does this have to do with the whole fact that this man was killed? There has to be a reason why the man has been killed." Kiba asked, crossing his arms slightly. Tsunade sighed and walked around to the front of her desk, leaning upon it. Each hand held her up as she looked down to the floor, "The man had something on him. A…a piece of stone."

"Make sense seeing as he was turned into granite." Naruto blurted, causing him to get punched in the shoulder by his pink haired teammate. Tsunade looked up and put on a serious face, "This piece of stone was from a tablet created a while ago. It is…a map."

"A map," TenTen asked, "to what?"

Tsunade looked to Shizune, who knew exactly what she wanted and traveled over to the bookcase, putting Ton Ton down. She pulled out a scroll hidden between two hollowed out books and placed it in Tsunade's hands. She unraveled it and showed it to the team in front of her. It was an old painting of a fountain-like structure that was surrounded by many different topiary arrangements.

"This is called Ukime Garden," the Fifth Hokage looked up to make sure they were paying attention, "long ago, a clan within the Whirlpool Country created a surplus of chakra in order to supply it to their shinobis in times of war or need. The fountain was filled with chakra infused water and in order to make it look regal, they decorated it with plants in the shapes of certain symbols. This fountain was desirable in all countries at the time, especially Tsuchigakure.

A war ensued and Tsuchigakure attacked the Whirlpool in the nighttime, killing off the clan and also entering the forbidden Ukime Garden." Tsunade took a moment for processing then continued…

"Unfortunately, the Ukime Garden had one side effect: anybody not of the clan that the fountain belonged to would taint the soul. Change them into something…horrible. It caused a lot of suicides and people found themselves having delusions of grandeur, thinking that they were all holy and mighty. In the end, those people were found dead from walking into reckless situations. After the war had ended, the Whirlpool village had to go into reconstruction and within that reconstruction, they relocated Ukime Garden to a secure location…this new tablet had its location and it was shattered into five different sections."

The whole group in front of Tsunade began to understand more clearly as finally the blonde Hokage cleared her throat, "You leave tomorrow morning. I want all of you to get a good night's rest and make sure that you are ready for this long journey. It will be at least a three week to a month long mission. Naruto," she paused, "you are Squadron Leader."

Everybody glanced to Naruto, who was dumbfounded beyond belief. "M-Me? But why…?"

"Just do a good job on this mission. You need the experience. Now get going. All of you." Tsunade demanded and everybody began filing out of the room. Of course, Naruto took a second before finally deciding to leave; he felt like a big weight was placed upon his shoulders. As everybody finally exited the room, Shizune walked over to Tsunade.

"You're not going to tell him…?"

Tsunade shook her head, "If I told him, Naruto would be devastated and his head wouldn't be in the right place."

"Don't you think it'd be important to know that this mission is going to be tough on him…?" Shizune asked and Tsunade got right in Shizune's face. "It is not your place to tell me what I should do with my shinobi. I'm sorry Shizune, but this is how I'm running things and I'm not going to let Naruto get carried away on this recon mission. Besides, it is only _recon_. Nothing more."

Shizune stopped talking and picked up Ton Ton, walking out of the room. Tsunade sat down in her chair and sighed, rubbing her temples.

"I need to go gambling…"

**UZUMAKI RESIDENCE: NORTHERN KONOHAGAKURE NO SATO**

Naruto was inside his apartment, packing up things within his bag; luckily, he had obtained the skill of sealing from his mother's old scrolls that he had obtained from Tsunade on his 21st birthday. The blonde sealed in about three weeks of ramen in one scroll and a tent within another. He stuffed those in his pack along with a spare change of clothing and some more scrolls with clothing and toiletries. Weapons were restocked and stashed within the appropriate packs on his legs and bag.

A canteen was attached to the bag by clip, which contained water. "This should be enough to last…" Naruto muttered to himself. A knock on his front door sounded through his apartment and he stormed over, barefoot, opening the door.

"Sasuke." Naruto greeted, opening the door wide for his friend. Sasuke removed his shoes as he entered, the door closing behind him. Naruto went past him and into the kitchen. "Drink?"

"Sure." Sasuke answered and Naruto took out two shot glasses and filled them with Sake. Sasuke took a seat on Naruto's couch and began talking, "You were put into Squadron Leader for two reasons, I've come to conclude."

Naruto brought over their Sake and handed one to his teammate. "Thanks," Sasuke took his Sake in one down and Naruto did as well. They both placed their shots on the table in front of them and Naruto put a hand through his hair, "What?"

"One, in order to test your skills for Hokage," as Sasuke said the first reason, Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement, yet with a twinge of disbelief: Sasuke continued, "and two, there's something she's not telling you. This whole Ukime Garden business is intriguing. I'm not exactly sure how this mission will turn out, but I wanted to come over to give you advice for tomorrow…"

Naruto sat up and began listening to his comrade; Sasuke had been supportive as of the past three years. After his probation had started and he was allowed to go back on missions, Sasuke and Naruto had trained together in honing each other's skills where they were weak. Naruto had helped Sasuke with taijutsu whereas Sasuke helped Naruto with chakra control (yet, due to the amount of chakra within the Uzumaki, control was still unattainable.)

"I'm all ears." Naruto answered.

Sasuke sighed, "Just…don't panic over petty shit," he paused, "Shikamaru is successful at what he does because he is smart, yes, but also because he knows how his friends work. You need to create a formation, a plan, and a team that will best fit all of our needs and abilities. You have three powerful kunoichi and four others who are willing to get down and dirty."

Naruto sighed, rubbing his eyes, "I shouldn't be worried about this. And neither should you. I can easily create a team that will suffice to the whole. Thanks though, Sasuke."

Sasuke stood up and nodded, heading back over to the door. He put on his sandals and opened the door; before leaving, though, he looked over his shoulder and gave his signature Uchiha smirk. "And Naruto?"

The blonde looked over and nodded.

"Don't be an idiot. Stay level-headed." And with that, Sasuke left.

Naruto let those words sink in as he sunk into the couch he was on; the combinations ran through his mind and his teammates' abilities popped up on various occasions. With those thoughts in his mind, Naruto got to work on creating the perfect team formation in order for all of them to function safely and efficiently.

It took almost the whole night as finally the blonde had come up with something. The moon shined through the window once more as Naruto looked out at the starry sky; it was really late and he knew that he had to get to sleep. As he stood up and walked towards his room, a picture caught his eye. It was a photograph of Minato and a pregnant Kushina, Naruto's parents. The blonde lightly traced his fingers across the frame and smiled lightly.

"I won't let you down…mom…dad."

From that point on, Naruto knew that another reason he had become so jaded: to catch up to a great man who had all the power in his hands.

**The Truth about Love**

TWO: **At the Stroke of Midnight…**

**END**

**A/N**: This chapter was a lot of fun to write. I know there isn't a lot of action just yet, save the two small fight/death scenes in this one, but it will come! I promise! My writing style has improved from my first works on deviantart a long time ago and I believe that it is because of all my awesome fans who give me so many reviews in order to fix certain things. Keep doing it! Review, favorite, follow, and share! Thanks again guys!


	3. Barton Hollow, Pt 1

**A/N**: So sorry I haven't updated in so long! I've been so busy and I really want to make sure that this story is fantastic for you guys! So, here's an action filled chapter for you guys. If you've noticed, I also got rid of Invisible. It has been discontinued due to the fact that my idea kind of drowned in an ocean. Now. I have a solution for that. You'll see in the future! For now, here is Truth about Love chapter three!

The Truth about Love

**THREE**

**EASTERN GATES: KONOHAGAKURE NO SATO (0400 HOURS)**

"Goddammit it's fucking early!" Kiba groaned, letting out a yawn as he readjusted his bag. Akamaru whimpered at his side and yawned as well. Kiba looked down to his ninken and smirked, rubbing his head lightly. "I'm glad you feel the same way, boy."

From above, Shikamaru appeared, hands in pocket. He looked dreadfully tired but that was to be expected of the Nara clansman. Kiba snickered a bit, "Good morning sunshine. You look like you got hit by a thousand kunai."

"I wouldn't crack jokes. You aren't exactly the quietest person, Kiba." Shikamaru retorted, referencing Kiba's swearing fest. The Inuzuka could only look away and sigh as he and Shikamaru waited for the rest of their team to arrive. The next to arrive surprisingly was Naruto; maybe being Squad Leader helped him get up.

Naruto looked like he had gotten a sufficient amount of sleep, when really it was the opposite. He hadn't fallen asleep until 2 AM, planning and plotting where people should go and how they were going to approach this mission with the most precise caution. Naruto actually couldn't understand how Shikamaru did it all the time. It was hard business, but it was a good skill to have. The blonde scratched his scalp a few times, his dim blue eyes in deep thought. It took the loud mouthed Inuzuka to snap him out of it.

"Good morning, team leader," Kiba crossed his arms and smiled lightly, "you look like you got a lot of sleep, actually…unlike Shika."

"Can it." Shikamaru quickly retorted and Kiba stifled laughter. Naruto was still in deep thought, his mind on something really taxing as he closed his eyes; after a few seconds of no response, Kiba bent over a little bit to meet eye to eye and snapped his fingers a bit. The blonde's eyes shot open and he looked around. "Huh…what? Oh, hey. Yeah, I got a lot of sleep…"

Kiba shook his head, "I call bullshit." "As do I," Shikamaru examined Naruto a bit closer, "2 or three hours?"

"Two." Naruto responded simply and both brunettes rolled their eyes. Kiba looked a little bit worried, "That's not good for you, you know…? I mean, you could pass out from exhaustion."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Oh, come on. Look who you're talking to. Exhaustion isn't even in my vocabulary. Anyway, enough about my sleeping habits," he turned to look around the village to see if anyone was coming, "the others should be here pretty soon…"

A few minutes later, the rest of the team arrived. All the girls seemed ready to go, as well as Sasuke and Rock Lee. Naruto cleared his throat and walked towards the village gates. He turned to face his team and unraveled a scroll, laying it flat on the ground. On it, were multiple X's and initials. "Now…let's talk formation," he pointed to the first X, which was at the tip of a pyramidal form, "this is Kiba. Since the Inuzukas' are so well known for their amazing senses, I figured you could lead the trail. You are mostly for detection at first, but once we start getting into our mission, you will mostly be used to get scents in order to find clues on our attackers,"

Kiba nodded and understood.

"now, the next X is Hinata," Naruto pointed to an X at the opposite tip in the back, "your Byakugan is what will help us with attacks. Since you are in the back, you can scout out anything wrong with us as well as coming from behind. You are essential."

Hinata nodded slowly, "Hai…understood, Naruto-kun."

"Sakura and TenTen, you will lead the outsides. Your strength, Sakura, can ward off enemies from the side, while TenTen your weaponry skills can easily ward off enemies. I know it isn't the most exciting positions, but they should work." Naruto continued and the two girls nodded in agreement. Sakura smiled a bit. _'He's become so focused…it's interesting.'_ Sakura thought as the blonde continued with his explanation.

"Finally, we get to the core. Lee, you will follow in the middle with Shikamaru. You both can switch off between TenTen and Sakura when it comes to travel. And Sasuke, you will be near the back with Hinata, due to your Sharingan. I will take point next to Kiba. With my Bijuu mode, I can pinpoint bad chakra signals. But we'll save that for when we arrive in Yu no Kuni. Understood everybody?" Naruto concluded. There was a bit of a silence until Shikamaru spoke up. "Honestly, your positions aren't the best…but they'll work."

Naruto frowned a bit, "Thanks…I needed that…whatever, just get in your places and let's head out." Naruto turned and waited for Kiba to take point. Everybody moved around and some could even feel the tension emanating off of Naruto's body; that statement made Naruto even more scared. He didn't want to fail, in all honesty; he wanted to prove Tsunade that he could be a good team leader and actually do something orthodox for once.

Kiba took point and glanced to his blonde friend. "Are you okay…?"

"Forget about it," Naruto didn't even look at Kiba, "just…let it go…"

The brunette sighed and looked front, taking position on top of Akamaru. "Let's go, Akamaru!"

And with that, the team headed out. Leaving the tension behind, but the mission at hand.

**SOMEWHERE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF YU NO KUNI**

A lighthouse overlooked the ocean, its light long gone. It seemed abandoned, but unfortunately, it wasn't. The grass around it was dried a bit and dirt surfaced to show decay. The walls of the lighthouse were cracked and chipped, showing old age. The glass was cracked as well, but it seemed to be in standing condition. Inside, the seven levels were completely revamped; as if over years, people had been trying to renovate it. Each floor had its own style, and each floor emanated something dark and mysterious.

"Let's get straight to the point," a man spoke, "we only need two more pieces of the tablet to reactivate the map. I have enough chakra to contain it and what Ukime Garden holds, but I'll need all of your help to collect the pieces."

A blond haired man with bandages over his eyes smirked, leaning against a stone pillar. "Thou art quite ominous, no? Why be it only you whom can control the chakra within that Sacred place?"

"He has a point you know!" A small girl with a high pitched voice spoke. She was no taller than five feet and had pink pigtails. She smiled happily as if she had received some candy or prize. "It isn't right to hold out, now is it? I mean, everybody should have a taste of this beautiful garden!"

The man laughed a little bit, "Oh calm yourselves. In all due time, we will be able to split the profits of what we sow. Now, Netami," suddenly, a girl with purple hair that curled at the bottom walked in. Her body was slender and her lips were the color of forest green. Her eyes were deadly green as well, but so beautiful you couldn't resist looking into them. Her skin was quite pale and she seemed to wear her headband around her hip. On it, was the scratched out symbol of the Waterfall Village.

"Yessir?" She replied simply, seeming bored.

"I need you to intercept our group of Konoha ninja on their way here. Use whatever force you want on them." He commanded.

Netami smirked, "You got it."

"Oh, and Netami?" The man spoke.

"Yessir?" She replied once again, crossing her arms; she was raring to go, yet her boss didn't want her to leave just yet.

"Keep Naruto Uzumaki alive."

**TWO DAYS OUTSIDE OF OTOGAKURE NO SATO**

The night had befallen the forest and Naruto held up his hand. "Let's take this place right here to camp for the night."

The whole squadron stopped and everybody receded down from the trees; it was definitely late, everybody seemed tired. They had been traveling for a day straight possibly, and Naruto figured it'd be a good time to plot what to do next. "Okay. I'll go ahead and get some tents set up."

"I'll give yah a hand," Shikamaru stated.

"Good. Now we need people to go out and get some fresh water, firewood, and a scope of the area." The Uzumaki stated. Hinata raised her hand a bit, "I will go get the water…Sakura-chan, come with?"

Sakura nodded, "Sure thing, Hinata. We'll be back, Naruto." The two girls left, leaving Lee, Sasuke, Kiba, and TenTen without a job. Naruto walked up to TenTen and Kiba, "I need you two to scope out the area. Check for traps, sightings of people or recent camps, anything that will pique your interest."

"Hai!" Kiba and TenTen said in unison. The two rushed off, leaving Sasuke and Lee to get firewood. "We know our job, captain." Sasuke teased, walking off with Lee. Shikamaru was already setting up one tent and Naruto quickly went over to help him out. He held up one of the corners as Shikamaru pitched it to the ground. "You know, I was kidding with what I said earlier."

"I don't know what you mean." Naruto said sarcastically.

"Don't get snappy with me. It's such a drag," Shikamaru went to the next side and Naruto followed, "look, I'm just saying that if you needed help with a formation you could've asked me or someone else. There's no problem with a little—"

"Shut up…!" Naruto snapped. The Nara looked a little shocked at his friend's behavior. "Just…stop…I-I need to do this on my own."

Shikamaru stood up, the first tent pitched. "You can't do shit like this alone, Naruto. You have a team for a reason."

"Yeah, but as fucking team captain, which was thrust upon me, I need to be able to do certain things off the top of my head! My own plans, my own ideas. It's fucking worthless if I can't do simple shit like that." Naruto growled, getting in his friend's face. Shikamaru furrowed his brow and rolled his eyes, "Coming up with a formation is difficult, isn't it? But listen, calm down. Stay level-headed."

Sasuke's words flashed back through his head and Naruto sighed, putting a hand through his hair. "I-I'm sorry, Shika, I don't know what came over me. I'm just stressed out, you know?"

"I was the same way with my planning. Of course, not loud and obnoxious. I'm starting to think that Kiba's sailor mouth is rubbing off on you." The two shared a laugh and Naruto sighed, looking sincerely into the brunette's eyes. "Thanks…"

"What are friends for?" Shikamaru smirked and they continued pitching the tents that had yet to be put up. After a few minutes, teammates started returning with their jobs done. Kiba walked up with TenTen and sighed, "Nothing out of the ordinary. Just a cave, that's about it."

Naruto smiled, "Okay that's good. Good work, guys…"

TenTen smirked and crossed her arms, "Who would've thought. Years ago I probably would've laughed at the Hokage saying that Naruto Uzumaki would be my team leader," she smiled next, "but I'm glad now that I can say that I can trust you with my life."

The blonde blushed a little bit at the complement, but continued setting up the camp. Sasuke and Lee returned with firewood and plopped some of it down in the center of the camp; Sasuke then did a few handsigns and put two fingers at his lips, "**Katon: Concentrated Fireball Technique**!"

The stack of firewood went ablaze and the warmth started to fill the camp. Everybody seemed to start making themselves at home; the water was returned and placed near the edge of one of the tents. "I'll go ahead and start making some food, okay?" Sakura said, getting out a pot that she had brought with. Naruto nodded, sitting up from his log that they had set. "I'm going on a walk."

The Uzumaki left the camp before anybody could say anything and went into the woods; he needed some time to himself to clear his mind.

The night was so calming; the crickets were chirping and the light rustle of grass allowed Naruto to concentrate on his thoughts. This mission was taking a toll on his mind, stressing him out to no end. What if Tsunade really wanted to make him Hokage? Could he really handle his dream coming true? All these thoughts circled in the blonde's mind…along with who the Hell was following him?

"Kiba…you know you could've just asked to come with me." Naruto mused, without turning around.

Kiba shoved his hands into his pockets and caught up to Naruto, taking his place next to the Uzumaki. "What's the fun in that? You probably would've said no to me."

"You're right." Naruto said coldly, allowing Kiba to take the burn. "Why have you been such an Ice Queen lately?"

Naruto looked confused towards Kiba, "What do you mean 'Ice Queen'?"

Kiba shrugged, looking forward; he examined the scenery as he said his explanation, "Just…just different. You used to be so cheerful, goofy, and stupid…I miss that Naruto, you know? But don't get me wrong, this new and improved Naruto Uzumaki is great, but you aren't yourself…"

"…" Naruto was rendered speechless as Kiba continued. "Did something happen with the war that made you this way?"

"You know…losing someone you really cared about is hard. Seeing someone die again in front of your eyes is even worse." Naruto spoke under his breath, allowing only Kiba to hear. Kiba then understood. "This is about Neji, isn't it?"

Naruto's silence answered his question and the brunette sighed, rubbing his hair a bit. "All of us miss him…and I know that he's made a big impact on your life, but…you have to move on. He would've wanted you to…"

"It was my fault. It was my fault he died." Naruto scolded, looking teary eyed but angry.

"It wasn't your fault, Naruto…he protected you. We wouldn't have won that war without you…honestly. And Hinata would've lost her life as well. You would've lost two people rather than one…and that would've been worse." Kiba tried to calm his friend down, but it didn't seem to work. Naruto was still tense and Kiba sighed, "Look. Naruto, you've got a lot of people who love you. Villagers, teammates, or practically family, I guess. The people who love you for who you are, are the ones who will be by your side till the end. And Neji cared about you, man…you would've done the same in his position." Kiba stated, but Naruto sighed to counteract.

"Then why wasn't I?" Naruto said simply, leaving Kiba speechless. Before Kiba could think of a response, Naruto pointed forward, "Is that the cave you were talking about?"

The brunette looked forward and nodded, "Yup, that's it."

The cave had a small entrance, almost like someone had chipped into it. The exterior had been worn down by erosion, but the entrance was perfectly carved. Naruto walked forward and traced his hand along the entrance's outline, feeling the stone pivots and shape. "Interesting. Did you check inside?"

"No…I couldn't sense anything of importance inside. Do you wanna check it out?" Kiba asked, and Naruto nodded. "I've got a feeling about something."

The two entered within the cave. It was pitch dark, but Naruto had a solution. He did a few handsigns and from his fingertip, he eluded a small rasengan-like light, the color of yellow. Kiba raised his eyebrow, "What is that?"

"A new technique I developed. Using my chakra and the rasengan form, I can actually create a flashlight type of thing with this. It only lasts for a little bit. Not a lot of chakra, but just enough to pull it off." Naruto explained and Kiba snickered, "That's fucking cool."

"You're telling me…see anything?" Naruto asked. Kiba sniffed and tried seeing, now that the cave was illuminated. "Nothing yet…oh, wait…do you see that?"

At the end of the small cavern, there was a stone pillar. On top of it, a small jagged crystal with a string attached to it laid. "Are you serious? Who would leave such a thing here?" Kiba asked, picking it up. Naruto slapped it out of his hand and looked around, "Don't touch it! You don't know what it could do…"

Kiba grabbed his hand, whimpering a bit at the pain but rolled his eyes, "Oh come on…it's harmless. Just take it." Naruto sighed and picked it up, looking at it. "Whatever it is, it's ours to investigate…take it." He threw it to Kiba, who caught it and shoved into his pockets. "Let's head back to camp. I can smell Sakura's cooking from here." Kiba spoke up as the two headed back.

Back at camp, all the shinobi ate until they were full. Sakura had made a special serving of ramen and tofu (for certain people in the group). Naruto was quite thankful for the ramen, and some of the teammates noticed that for a split second, Naruto seemed to be his old self; but as the ramen was finished, he bowed for his meal and placed the bowl down before stretching. "I'm going to sleep. Who will take first watch?"

"I will." Shikamaru stated, getting up from his position. "I'll take second," Sakura responded. As people started signing up for all of their positions, Naruto unzipped the flap to his tent and looked at what was inside. Akamaru sat happily on one side, panting with his tongue slightly ajar. That only meant one thing.

"Hell no! Dogbreath, what is Akamaru doing in here?" Naruto growled, looking a little bit disgusted. Kiba laughed and walked inside the tent, "Uh, duh, we're roomies."

"Roomies? Who decided this?" Naruto asked, and Kiba shrugged, "Akamaru. He just picked one he wanted to go into and that's what happened. You don't have a problem with that do yah?"

"Yes…what if he bites me in my sleep?" Naruto muttered and Akamaru barked, letting Naruto jump a bit. Kiba snickered, "Oh hush, both of you. Naruto, if he wanted to bite you, he would by now. Trust me." Naruto rolled his eyes, "Whatever. As long as he stays on his side…" Akamaru got into a comfortable position and began to sleep. Kiba unzipped his jacket and folded it up, placing it near Akamaru. The mesh shirt underneath hugged tightly to his skin, showing off his toned body. Naruto couldn't help but stare at his friend strip.

He untied his headband, leaving his hair to fall slightly in front of his eyes. He smirked a bit, showing off those canines of his as Naruto continued to watch; he never noticed how much Kiba had grown up. From the academy days to the Chunin exams and through to the war, Naruto never really took a physical notice of the Inuzuka, but something inside of him allowed him to do so now.

"Having fun watching me undress are we?" Kiba snapped Naruto out of his trance and the blonde scoffed, removing his own jacket and headband. "Whatever. I was thinking."

"About my sexy body." Kiba teased and Naruto threw his jacket at the brunette, who caught it and put it down on the ground, "I'm irresistible."

"Shut your mouth, Inuzuka." Naruto grumbled as he laid down on his small cot, getting comfortable. It was Kiba's turn to examine his blonde haired teammate: the way his hair settled around his face made him look peaceful, yet so strong. Kiba had always been a fan of how Naruto trained and how he kept himself fit, but never understood how he could do it with all the ramen he ate. And then, there were those whiskers. It made Kiba feel a connection, having something like his triangles on a friend's face; he didn't know why, but he knew that there was something that drew Kiba to Naruto.

"Goodnight, Naruto," Kiba muttered as he closed his hazel eyes. Naruto took a second to examine Kiba as he closed his eyes and sighed, "Goodnight, Dogbreath…"

Kiba snickered and turned his back to Naruto, sleeping close to his dog for warmth. He didn't even need a blanket. Naruto's eyes grew heavy from the lack of sleep and easily he let slumber take over. Outside of the tent, Sakura and Hinata were at the campfire, going over a few things for the mission. Suddenly, the topic of Hinata's love interest came up.

"You know…Naruto has changed." Sakura mentioned and Hinata nodded, sighing a bit. "Yeah…I know…"

"He needs someone there for him that he can depend on. Can you be that person Hinata?" Sakura asked bluntly, and Hinata blushed a bright color of red, looking into the fire. "I-I'm sure I am…I can make him happy."

"Naruto…is a weird case. I don't know what he likes anymore. For a while, I thought he liked me. And you know, I thought he liked you…but I'm not sure anymore." Sakura admitted, and Hinata looked at the pink haired kunoichi, "What do you mean?"

"I just feel like he doesn't care for anybody romantically anymore…as if his heart was ripped out of his chest. I don't know why, but I feel like these past years really have changed him." Sakura said as she stood up, "I don't know. Don't listen to me Hinata. But, maybe talk to him soon before it is too late…okay? Goodnight."

"Goodnight Sakura…" Hinata watched as Sakura walked back into the tent and the ravenette sighed. "Great…my shots with him are probably lost…" Hinata muttered under her breath. Suddenly, whispering came from behind Hinata. The Hyuuga turned to see no one; but the whispering continued. She looked around and then decided to go investigate, activating her Byakugan. The girl continued walking and found herself locating no one. "Hello?" She asked out. No one.

Finally, she found herself at the cave that Naruto and Kiba had investigated earlier. She then sensed a unique chakra signature within the cave and went inside.

The darkness engulfed her in and silence ensued.

**The Truth about Love**

THREE: **Barton Hollow, Pt. 1…**

**END**

**A/N: **So hoped you liked the update! This chapter will be in two parts! So expect the next part soon! Review, read, comment, etc! Thanks guys!


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